NEVADA – After having to close in the middle of January because of health and safety problems, a popular coffee shop in downtown Carson City has been given the green light to start up again.

The heart of the capital city’s main city, Comma Coffee, was closed on January 18 after health inspectors found a number of health problems.

Multiple health district violations have been fixed, so a Carson City coffee shop can open again.

According to the report, there was an infestation of pests, food was stored at the wrong temperature, and chlorine-based cleaning solutions were not stored properly. The report said that mice poop was found in the building, including near where food is made.

The owner, June Joplin, doesn’t agree that there was a “infestation.” She said that a local exterminator found mouse droppings in a few places but not a “infestation.”

“The pest control company came out, and in their report, they said they found no signs that we had an infestation,” Joplin said.

In addition to the mice, the report said that a cat was found in the back of the business, where the washer and dryer and kitchen tools are kept.

This month, local health inspectors found a number of problems at Comma Coffee, which is in the middle of downtown Carson City. They gave the coffee shop permission to reopen.

Joplin said that the cats were there to keep the mice away, but they have since been taken off the property and the exterminator has sealed any holes in the old building on S. Carson St.

Inspectors also found that some foods that could be dangerous were kept at temperatures that help bacteria grow. Certain foods have to be kept below 47 degrees by businesses.

Joplin said that she was responsible for the violations and that she had fixed the problems listed in the report so that she could reopen. The health district did a second inspection late last week, and Joplin said her business passed with “flying colors.”

We asked Joplin what she would tell customers who might not want to come back.

She said, “I kind of went down the slippery slope, and I got called out on it, even though I’ve done everything I’m supposed to.”

Please come back, I would say. You know that things go wrong and that accidents happen. I’m a human being.
Even though she was given the go-ahead to open, her usually busy business was still closed on Tuesday because the pipes had frozen during the bitter cold.

A sign at Comma Coffee in downtown Cason City tells customers that health officials gave the business permission to reopen, but it was still closed on January 31, 2023, because the pipes froze overnight.

Joplin hopes to be open for good by the end of the week, just in time for the biennial session of the Nevada legislature across the street, which brings many lawmakers and lobbyists to Comma Coffee.

Health and Human Services in Carson City inspects restaurants and other places to eat without notice at least once a year. Visit the health department’s website or send an email to cchhsinfo@carson.org to report a possible violation.

Credits: Fox Reno

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